The World’s Most Powerful Passports in 2023

Exploring the World’s Top Passports

The ability to travel the world with ease is a dream for many, and a passport’s power plays a significant role in making this dream a reality. Each year, the Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s passports based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without obtaining a visa. The 2023 rankings are out, and we’re here to provide an overview of the world’s most powerful passports according to the latest index.

Henley Passport Index

The Henley Passport Index is a prestigious global ranking system that evaluates the strength of passports from around the world. Updated regularly, the index measures the number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations each passport provides access to, serving as a valuable tool for travelers, policymakers, and investors alike. Established in 2006 by Henley & Partners, a leading global citizenship and residence advisory firm, the index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and additional in-house research. The Henley Passport Index is widely recognized as a reliable and authoritative source for understanding global passport strength and the freedom of movement each passport affords its citizens.

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Top 10 Most Powerful Passports of 2023

#1: Japan: 193 Destinations

Topping the list for yet another year, the Japanese passport reigns supreme as the world’s most powerful passport. Holders of a Japanese passport can visit an impressive 193 destinations without the need for a visa, granting them unparalleled freedom to explore the globe.

#2: Singapore, South Korea: 192 Destinations

Sharing the second spot, Singapore and South Korea’s passports offer their holders visa-free access to 192 destinations. These countries’ strong diplomatic relations and thriving economies have contributed to their high rankings, enabling their citizens to travel the world with minimal restrictions.

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#3:Germany, Spain: 190 Destinations

Germany and Spain share the third position in the 2023 Henley Passport Index, allowing their citizens visa-free access to 190 destinations. Both countries’ passports are highly valued due to their European Union membership, which grants them access to a multitude of countries without visa requirements.

#4: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg: 189 Destinations

Next on the list, we have Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg, with their passports granting visa-free travel to 189 destinations. These countries’ strong international ties and EU membership give their passport holders the freedom to explore numerous countries effortlessly.

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#5: Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden: 188 Destinations

Coming in at fifth place, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden offer their citizens the opportunity to visit 188 destinations without a visa. These EU countries are known for their high quality of life and strong diplomatic relations, making their passports highly sought after by global travelers.

#6: France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom: 187 Destinations

The passports of France, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom grant visa-free access to 187 destinations. As influential countries in Europe, their passports continue to be highly regarded, allowing their citizens to travel the world with ease.

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#7: Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Czech Republic: 186 Destinations

Sharing the seventh spot, the passports of Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, and the Czech Republic enable their holders to visit 186 destinations without a visa. These countries’ strong international ties and high global standing contribute to their passports’ impressive ranking.

#8: Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta: 185 Destinations

Australian, Canadian, Greek, and Maltese passports grant their holders visa-free access to 185 destinations. Their passports’ high rankings reflect these countries’ strong economies and international relationships, providing their citizens with numerous travel opportunities.

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#9: Hungary, Poland: 184 Destinations

Ranking ninth, Hungary and Poland offer their citizens visa-free travel to 184 destinations. As EU members, their passports’ strength is a testament to the countries’ economic growth and international standing.

#10: Lithuania, Slovakia: 183 Destinations

Rounding out the top 10, Lithuania and Slovakia’s passports provide visa-free access to 183 destinations. These EU countries’ passports are increasingly powerful, reflecting their continued economic development and global connections.

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Below are additional rankings from the 2023 Henley Passport Index:

2023
rank
Passport issuing countryVisa-free
destinations
123px Flag of Japan.svg Japan193
23px Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore193
223px Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea192
323px Flag of Germany.svg Germany191
23px Flag of Spain.svg Spain191
423px Flag of Finland.svg Finland190
23px Flag of Italy.svg Italy190
23px Luxembourg190
523px Flag of Austria.svg Austria189
20px Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark189
23px Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands189
23px Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden189
623px Flag of France.svg France188
23px Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland188
23px Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal188
23px Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom188
723px Flag of Belgium %28civil%29.svg Belgium187
23px Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic187
23px Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand187
21px Flag of Norway.svg Norway187
16px Flag of Switzerland %28Pantone%29.svg Switzerland187
23px Flag of the United States.svg United States187
823px Flag of Australia %28converted%29.svg Australia186
23px Flag of Canada %28Pantone%29.svg Canada186
23px Flag of Greece.svg Greece186
23px Flag of Malta.svg Malta186
923px Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary185
23px Flag of Poland.svg Poland185
1023px Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania184
23px Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia184
1123px Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia183
23px Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia183
1223px Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia182
1321px Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland181
1423px Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia180
1523px Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein179
1623px Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates178
23px Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus178
1723px Flag of Romania.svg Romania176
1823px Flag of Chile.svg Chile175
19px Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco175
23px Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia175
23px Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria175
1923px Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong172
2023px Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina171
22px Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil171
2120px Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino170
2222px Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra169
2323px Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei167
2423px Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados162
2521px Flag of Israel.svg Israel160
23px Mexico160
2623px Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis156
2723px Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas155
2816px Flag of the Vatican City.svg  Vatican City154
2923px Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles153
23px Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay153
3023px Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines151
6023px Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda150
23px Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago150
6223px Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica150
6323px Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia147
6423px Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada146
23px Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius146
6623px Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica145
23px Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan145
6823px Flag of Macau.svg Macau144
23px Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine144
23px Flag of Panama.svg Panama144
7123px Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay142
7223px Flag of Peru.svg Peru136
23px Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia136
7423px Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia133
23px Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala133
23px Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras133
7723px Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador132
23px Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa132
23px Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands132
8023px Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga130
8123px Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela129
8223px Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua128
23px Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu128
8423px Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia125
8523px Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati124
23px Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro124
8723px Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands123
8723px Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova121
8923px Flag of Palau.svg Palau120
9023px Flag of Russia.svg Russia118
23px Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina118
23px Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia118
9323px Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia116
9421px Flag of Albania.svg Albania115
9523px Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey110
9623px Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa106
9723px Flag of Belize.svg Belize103
9823px Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar100
9923px Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu98
10023px Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait97
10123px Flag of East Timor.svg East Timor94
10223px Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador92
10323px Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru90
10423px Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives89
10523px Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji88
23px Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana88
10723px Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana87
23px Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica87
23px Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain87
11020px Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea83
11123px Flag of Oman.svg Oman82
23px Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia82
11322px Bandera de Bolivia %28Estado%29.svg Bolivia80
23px Flag of the People%27s Republic of China.svg China80
11423px Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia79
11523px Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand78
23px Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus78
11723px Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho77
11823px Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname76
23px Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan76
12023px Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini75
12123px Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi74
12223px Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya73
12323px Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania72
12423px Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia71
23px Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia71
12623px Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia70
23px Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan70
23px Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic70
12923px Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia69
13023px Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines67
23px Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda67
13223px Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia66
23px Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde66
23px Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe66
13523px Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba65
23px Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana65
23px Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco65
13823px Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan64
23px Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone64
14023px Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique62
23px Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia62
14223px Flag of Benin.svg Benin61
23px Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda61
14423px Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan60
23px Flag of S%C3%A3o Tom%C3%A9 and Pr%C3%ADncipe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe60
14623px Flag of India.svg India59
23px Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania59
23px Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan59
14923px Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso58
15020px Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon57
23px Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal57
23px Flag of C%C3%B4te d%27Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast57
15323px Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea56
23px Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar56
23px Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea56
15623px Flag of Togo.svg Togo55
23px Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam55
15823px Flag of Mali.svg Mali54
23px Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia54
16023px Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria53
23px Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan53
23px Flag of Chad.svg Chad53
23px Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros53
23px Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt53
23px Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan53
18px Flag of Niger.svg Niger53
23px Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan53
16823px Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic52
23px Flag of Guinea Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau52
17023px Flag of Angola.svg Angola51
23px Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon51
17223px Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi50
23px Flag of Laos.svg Laos50
17423px Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia49
23px Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo49
23px Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti49
17723px Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti48
17823px Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar47
17923px Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia46
23px Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria46
18123px Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea44
23px Flag of South Sudan.svg South Sudan44
18323px Flag of Iran.svg Iran43
18420px Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo42
23px Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon42
23px Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka42
23px Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan42
18823px Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh41
21px Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo41
23px Flag of Libya.svg Libya41
19123px Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea40
19216px Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal38
23px Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine38
19423px Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia35
19523px Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen34
19623px Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan32
19723px Flag of Syria.svg Syria30
19823px Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq29
19923px Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan27

Conclusion

The 2023 Henley Passport Index rankings highlight the power and influence of a nation’s passport. A strong passport opens doors to numerous travel opportunities, granting its holders the freedom to explore.

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